Thermal imaging cameras are used in a variety of situations. Thermal inspections of operating equipment can be used to quickly analyze the equipment without requiring invasive measurements or undesirable system downtime. However, interpreting thermal images usually requires substantial experience and specialized knowledge about the equipment being imaged in order to determine if the thermal imagery is showing “normal” or “abnormal” behavior.
Contributing to this difficulty is the fact that that indicated temperature readings from the imagery may not be sufficient, without further knowledge and/or information, to determine normal operation (i.e., equipment is operating properly) vs. abnormal operation (there's a problem). For example, a particular temperature reading (e.g. 75° C.) of a motor might be considered normal under certain load and ambient conditions, but under other conditions (lower load, lower ambient conditions, etc.), it could suggest a problem is present. Additionally or alternatively, thermal characteristics of certain portions of an object (e.g., a motor) may have greater fluctuations during use than other portions. An unfamiliar inspector may observe a hotter-than-usual location in an image and incorrectly assume abnormal operation.